by Emma Dean
“But the girls don’t like the good boys,” Lucien explained, grinning viciously, elbow on Ethan’s shoulder as he leaned into the witch. “We all knew Mika would fall to her knees for you when you came back all damaged and dark…like the Winter Soldier, aka Bucky Barnes.”
Malachi blinked and Mika pressed her face into his shoulder, wishing she could hide.
“You’re a bunch of fucking nerds.” But Malachi was grinning, and he looked down at Mika with an eyebrow raised. “Fall to your knees, huh?”
She shoved him and walked straight for the edge of the bridge. It was too much for her, especially with an audience. It didn’t matter she was technically a matriarch and the Head Witch. Mika had always been socially awkward and easily embarrassed.
And they all thought it was hilarious.
“Hey.” Malachi caught her hand and yanked her back. “But you’re a sexy nerd.”
“We’ll come back in a few minutes,” Ethan said with a grin, winking at her.
Mika wished she could wink back, but she just didn’t have it in her unless she was being bitchy.
“Technically, I’m a geek,” she hissed, glaring up at the clouds.
“Sure.” Malachi snorted. “But I’ve seen your interdimensional physics equations. You’re also a nerd.”
Mika didn’t say anything. Lucien and Ethan were down in the temple, giving them some space, but she didn’t understand boy brains. What did she need privacy for exactly?
“Why are you so flustered?” Malachi asked, tugging on her ponytail. “I know I said that was nerdy, but it’s also kind of adorable.”
Her eyes found his then. “What exactly are we? What’s the end goal? What’s the next step? I know things have been stupid, but I feel like I don’t know where we stand and it’s confusing. Also, teasing about sex always makes me flustered so…there’s your answer.”
The amusement in his eyes died slightly, but Malachi hugged her which was kind of surprising. She thought he’d try to kiss her.
“I’ve kind of been going with the flow,” Malachi admitted. “I should have realized that’s not really your style. I’m sorry.”
Mika still didn’t know what to say, but her hands settled on his waist. At least she’d finally been able to ask.
“It’s also hard to seduce you when we’re on the run,” Malachi murmured, skimming his hands up her waist and over her ribs. “Everywhere we’ve been in the same place together, alone, has been public. Were you worried that I was backing off again because we haven’t been…intimate?”
Even put so delicately, Mika felt herself blush.
Her forehead thumped against his chest as she sighed. “Is that stupid?”
“No.”
His thumbs brushed against the sides of her breasts before sliding over her shoulders and neck. Mika shivered when his hands were briefly around her throat and the urge to drop to her knees was almost irresistible.
Fucking Lucien.
“I’ve been wanting to taste you for a long time,” Malachi murmured, his deep voice thrumming through her. “But I’ve been a little nervous.”
She was surprised he would admit that so openly. “Because of Lucien, Ethan, and Corbin?”
“Yeah, a little.” Malachi dropped his hands to his sides. “I don’t want to mess up the dynamic that’s clearly working so well for you guys.”
Why was him being vulnerable with her so hot?
“They invited you though.”
“Yeah, I know, but still.” He gave her a rueful smile and ruffled her hair. “We need a schedule or something, so I don’t feel like I’m intruding.”
Mika blinked. That actually sounded like a great idea. “That never occurred to me.”
They’d never all wanted her at the same time though, so it just hadn’t seemed necessary. Mika assumed with them so close to each other though, all living in the same house, she’d need it just to get some peace and quiet.
All of them snored.
“Do you snore?” she asked, pulling her hair out of the ponytail thanks to Malachi messing it all up.
“Uh, not that I’m aware of?” Malachi gave her a weird look. “Why?”
“Would you like to hang out tonight?” She ran her fingers through her hair and gave him a small smile. “I have a feeling I’m going to need some time to relax after today.”
Was that a blush she saw? Malachi’s cheeks were slightly darker, and she honestly thought it was the cutest fucking thing she’d ever seen on a big, muscled dude who could easily snap someone’s spine or blast them to bits with magic.
“Uh, yeah.” Malachi rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “I’d like that.”
“Cool, so what’s your end game with me then? Boyfriend? Long-term partner?”
He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I’ll start with boyfriend. Do I get to call you my girlfriend now?”
“Sure.” Mika smirked right back at him.
“Cool, then I guess we’ll figure out the rest from there.” Malachi kissed her again and she pushed him off of her with a laugh.
“I have a lot of work to do,” she warned him.
His only response was to smack her ass.
Hard.
“Tell Lucien and Ethan I’ll be back in a bit.” Mika ignored her blush and rolled her shoulders back.
“Where are you going?” Malachi almost sounded alarmed when the tips of her boots hung over the edge of the bridge.
“To talk to the undine.”
Then she leapt off the bridge, arms over her head in a dive as she arrowed down toward the vicious waves with its rocks underneath the surface, the currents, and the undine.
Plus, whatever else dwelled down there.
It was a long way down, but Mika wrapped pure power around her in a skintight shield and when she hit the surface she sliced through the water. Another spell weighed her boots down and she sank to the bottom of the ocean, shifting her body until she had gills and could breathe.
This was much easier than last time.
She blinked and suddenly there was a merman in front of her, holding out his slightly webbed hand, a trident in the other hand.
“Well met, Witch Queen.”
17
Mika finished up her lunch, ignoring that everyone in the dining hall was staring at her. She was trying not to let it bother her.
After her little speech the other day, everyone who decided to stay realized she also was the same girl who’d been crowned Homecoming Queen not that long ago. Things were a little awkward since no one had exactly come up to her yet.
Despite them all living on the same island, everyone was still separated. She’d have to figure out how to make them work together, to make it less…weird. Between the foxes and the coyotes, the ravens, all the students, and the staff…
Mika had no idea how she was going to make it all work. Maybe they should cancel classes and focus on what would get them all through this.
Then there was the undine.
She glanced at the one who’d been assigned to her by their queen. He was a warrior, one of their best she’d been promised. Mika thought he was pretty easygoing, but seeing Malachi, Ethan, and Lucien’s faces when she crawled out of the ocean with him had been something else.
Thanks to Morgana the conversation had been rather short. The undine were apprised of everything thanks to the ghost witch, and then she’d even had them draw up a contract for the alliance that was almost identical to the one Morgana had originally signed with some adjustments for the modern times.
The queen had even given her unlimited access to the castle and everything underwater five miles out from the beach, but it wasn’t Mika’s – only the land was. And she’d had to sign an agreement that reinforced that she wouldn’t try to steal water rights.
Mika didn’t have to, not when the queen had simply offered trade. Seafood and whatever else Mika could want within reason, for various land plants and animals the undine considered a delicacy.
The queen
of the undine would protect the waters around Mika’s island, search for Azrael, fight if there was an attack, and Mika would protect them from the paranormal world. She would also work to help cleanse the ocean of the pollution from the humans.
Not an easy task, but with magic, anything was possible.
“That’s what you eat?” Rokvash, the undine assigned to her, asked. “And it’s…good?”
Apparently not everyone under the sea thought food on land was a delicacy.
She grinned at him, waving her fork around. “Wanna try it?”
“No.” The disgust was clear in his sure response.
“It’s just chicken.” Mika took a bite out of the curried chicken and almost laughed when the undine wrinkled his nose in disgust. “You know, I wasn’t aware the undine could walk on land.”
“It’s part of our biology, like your shifters. We just don’t like living with humans or paranormals.” He sniffed at the food again and then studied what someone else was eating – fish if her guess was right.
Technically the undine were fae. Their realm was parallel to earth in a lot of ways, much like the other faerie realm. It never ceased to fascinate her how different everyone was, and how their opinions of the other paranormals changed from race to race.
“And yet, here you are.” Mika finished her lunch and pushed the plate back. “Why ally with blood witches?”
“We are bloodthirsty, much like you.” Rokvash smiled and she tried not to shudder at the rows and rows of sharp teeth. “We’ve also been working with your kind for centuries, even before Morgana. Not only are you all unafraid of us, you’ve treated us better than most. We’ve never had territory disputes with blood witches.”
Mika could only imagine how the spread of humanity had torn up their homes.
She watched as the students and professors stared at her, looking away when she caught their gazes. Classes were currently on hold while they all tried to figure out what exactly was needed. Mika had more meetings with Mircella to figure that out, and then Torin wanted her training with the ravens in the forest.
The foxes kept asking about transporting their library to the island, but she thought it was safer where it was for the time being, using the portal to access it.
Then the coyotes were training with the ravens so that was something at least.
“You’ve rid your island of the infestation?” Rokvash asked, following her gaze.
Mika didn’t know. “I haven’t figured out a way to be sure without interrogating everyone.”
The ravens could search, but even that wasn’t absolute. It was the reason she hadn’t done the wards yet, other than waiting for Selene and Edith. She wanted to be sure she wasn’t locking them all on the island with a traitor.
“Spike the water with truth serum,” Rokvash suggested.
Mika eyed the undine, wondering how terrible that idea would be. She definitely didn’t want everyone knowing her secrets and there were some things she was sure she didn’t want to know about other people.
“Is that what you do below?”
He shrugged and tapped his human fingers on the table. The webbing disappeared on land too, but his skin still had a slightly iridescent sheen to it. That and the teeth made him stand out no matter how normal he looked.
Mika half wondered if he could shift his teeth to something more human, and simply chose not to.
“Torture is ineffective for the most part,” the undine admitted. “It’s better to set traps and let the traitors out themselves.”
Interesting. Definitely something to think about. She let her brain chew on that in the background, feeling two familiar tugs on the blood bond as they drew closer and closer.
Mika looked up and saw Lucien and Ethan walk into the dining hall and all eyes turned to them. She smiled, admiring the two hilts sticking over Lucien’s shoulders. Ethan was in the leather pants from his armor paired with a nice white T-shirt, he had something like a battle axe on his back and two hatchets on his hips.
Mika couldn’t remember ever seeing Ethan armed like that before.
They were both evolving into their true selves, and she was so here for it.
“The Alpha’s are here,” Lucien warned. “Torin and Gunner are in the forest. My Alpha is with the dean, and Malachi is with Dagon and the Alphas.”
“Audrey is working on getting the demon glass charged,” Ethan told her, leaning against the other side of the table, eyeing the undine.
It didn’t have to be obsidian, just any crystal that could hold power, so Mika had gone through the university’s storage as well as placed a ton of orders for whatever else the witchcraft stores had.
She still wasn’t sure if it would be enough, but with the scythes she hoped they had a fighting chance.
Except not everyone on Morgana knew how to fight.
It was a problem she was trying to figure out how to rectify.
“Okay, I’ll…go meet the Alphas.” Mika should have thought about what she wanted to do with them while they were here.
Should she have planned some kind of meal, maybe a tour of the island, or the greenhouse?
They were still setting shit up and there was so much chaos, Mika didn’t know what to show them if they did do a tour. All she knew was they’d be interested in seeing the coyotes, and maybe the shifters who’d decided to stay at Morgana.
Fuck.
Why hadn’t she thought to have some kind of meal? That probably would have been too high society though and shifters weren’t fond of that.
“Witch Queen?” Rokvash asked.
She eyed him, hating that he refused to call her anything else.
Mika stood and ignored the look Ethan and Lucien shared. She’d figure this out. Planning something elaborate would have only set off her anxiety as she waited, wondering if something was going to go wrong.
There was one thing she could do though.
Walking out into the courtyard, she took a step and the next she was a fox, a little smaller than Lucien’s fox, and completely white instead of black. She stared up at Lucien, mouth open in a laughing smile.
“My fucking god, little witch. You’re adorable.” Lucien laughed and shifted so he could rub against her, barking slightly with a delighted sound. Then he took off, and she could practically hear him through the bond. Think you can beat me?
Mika took off, chasing the black fox through the courtyards, letting him lead her to where she could smell the Alphas. Her fox didn’t like how big and dangerous they were, but she knew how easy it would be to shift into something else.
Lucien’s siblings came out of nowhere and jumped her, all of them tumbling through the dry grass. Mika huffed a laugh and nipped the oldest before catching up to Lucien, hearing the coyotes in the forest take notice of her.
Whatever it was they sensed when she shifted, it didn’t feel the same to them as when others shifted, and she hadn’t figured out why yet.
Focusing, she tried to feel the pain in the world, to see it as Lucien did, but she couldn’t find any. Mika didn’t think she adopted special shifter abilities with each form. That had probably been too much to hope for.
There they were – all five of them including their Seconds and Thirds.
She’d finally looked them all up with Kenzie’s help. The bear was from Kettle Creek, Logan. He was not mated, and she was a fan of the fact that his Second was female.
The two male wolves represented the Pacific Northwest wolves and the Southwest wolves. Marshall was the Alpha of the San Juan Mountain Pack and Michael was the Alpha of the Cascade Mountain Pack.
The female Alpha, Alice, was from the northern part of Colorado.
Dagon smiled slightly as he watched her and Lucien while Malachi just glared, trying not to laugh by the way his jaw was clenched and his eye twinkled. Somehow the witch had become an enforcer, a lot like the Third of a pack, and she knew he didn’t want the Alphas to see him laugh.
Between one leap and the next she was a wolf. Mika trot
ted over to the shifters and sat in front of them, watching the way the wolves avoided her gaze. Why did they see her as more dominant? Mika didn’t get it, and she wasn’t a true shifter so she wasn’t sure she ever really would.
The bear was frowning, and Mika considered him, but she turned to Samuel first. One breath in and the next she was a white tiger – eyes glowing gold instead of silver now. The white tiger Alpha actually took a step back in surprise, but not fear she noticed.
And then she was a bear – white, which was kind of embarrassing. Polar bears weren’t all that terrifying in her opinion.
Logan’s frown disappeared, and he laughed, looking genuinely pleased to see her white fur. “Lady, that’s impressive, but I have to say, I’ve never seen a white bear before.”
She didn’t like the size of her bear form. It felt slow even if she could feel just how strong she was.
Mika preferred the wolf over the bear if she were honest with herself.
Then she sighed and the heat that suffused her body was almost delicious. Dagon’s eyes burned with hellfire, matching her own.
Mika hadn’t been sure to what extent ‘shapeshifter’ meant, but she’d been practicing. Maybe one day she’d be good enough to change her appearance, but there was no real point of that unless she wanted to disappear.
“I’m not a normal witch, in case you weren’t aware,” Mika told them, in her own body once again. She adjusted her rubies and settled back into her human form. Being able to cast magic again was always a relief. “I just wanted to be upfront with you, since you trusted me to come here.”
Malachi gave her a brief wink. Between him and Dagon, she wasn’t worried about the Seconds or Thirds at all despite the shifters’ strength.
“What is it you would like to talk to me about?” Mika realized they weren’t looking at her any longer, but something behind her.
She turned to see Ethan walking with the undine who was still adjusting to his legs, which meant he was slow, but not weak. The fae were stronger than shifters whether they were in their realm or here.
“You made it sound like you had a plan,” Samuel told her. “I’m not sure what kind of plan, but I’m interested in not having to deal with a new world order and being ruled over by Death. I know not all the other Council members read the proof you gave, but I did.”
